Embrace Messy Hair
by TheOtherMaddHatter
Summary: It's hot, hot, hot outside! And with all that fur, well, it's bound to be even hotter. Quick! Someone get some ice water and a set of dog clippers for Derek, before he overheats!


**With this uncommonly smoking weather all over the world lately, and the really, really strange weather patterns here in the midwest, I'd like to just remind you all to stay safe and stay smart in the heat! Wherever it is you may live, please be careful, both for yourselves, as well as your pets. They get hot too. Drink lots of water, don't linger in the heat for too long, and watch for signs of heat stress. Take care, and stay safe!**

**In case you're wondering, you should only shave certain types of pets at certain times of the year, and only in extreme situations. For some animals it is unhealthy and can actually cause harm, like sunburn, especially in short haired or smooth haired dogs and cats. Which is why Derek gets the clippers and Stiles does not. Here is a good page about hair clipping for pets for future reference!**

** pets .webmd features/ shaving- dog- or- cat- during- summer**

**And we always shave our long haired, super furry dogs. It makes them seem like completely different animals, but we don't shave our smaller dogs and our beagle. They get a kiddie pool, which they love to swim around and splash in. And I always make big ice water bowls because my dogs love to eat the ice, as well as play with it.**

* * *

**Embrace Messy Hair**

* * *

The heat had been unusually persistent this year. In particular, these last few months of summer, which had been near ungodly. Of course, it wasn't unusual to have the occasional heat wave, even in Northern California, but the sustained, prolonged, unmerciful heatwave like they were having? Unheard of. Completely unheard of.

As such, everyone was hot. Dogs and humans alike.

Stiles was hot. Alpha Scott was hot. And Derek...

Derek was very, very, _very_ hot.

Stiles was, well, Stiles wasn't exactly comfortable in his short fur, but he wasn't dying either. Not like poor Derek was, what with all that fur he had layered atop his already massive frame. Even in the shade, in the mildest of the heat, Derek was still panting like he'd run several marathons one right after another for days. And if he were left outside too long, Stiles noticed that he'd lay down in the coolest part of the yard he could find and became sluggish to the point of near-constant sleep. Derek, even when he was exhausted, never, ever slept that much for that long in a singular period of time. It was disconcerting, terrifying either, as a primal portion of Stiles' brain realized that there was something wrong with this picture.

When Matron Allison noticed, she'd looked decidedly uncomfortable and upset at the condition Derek was in. Which of course lead to a very serious talk with Alpha Scott in semi-hushed whispers, then a controlled-but-semi-frantic call to Dr. Deaton. What Dr. Deaton had said, he could only guess, because he couldn't hear. And Stiles had tried to listen to everything said while sitting in the cool den with Derek, each basking in the AC flowing out of the close-by floor vent. Derek had finally started to perk back up, and with the help of nearly two enormous bowls of ice water -with big chunks of ice!- he was starting to feel better and become more and more alert.

And that's how, the very next day, they both found themselves at Dr. Deaton's office, Stiles for support, and Derek to be shaved. Deaton had calmly explained to Alpha Scott, Stiles, and a very reluctant Derek, that shaving away Derek's outer most layers of winter fur would vastly improve his body's ability to combat the temperature and regulate itself properly. By taking off the top few inches, and leaving him with an inch and a half of his ground hair for sunburn protection and general regulation, he would be able to combat the heat on his own. His fur was literally compromising his health. The hair would grow back in time for oncoming fall and eventual winter, and that there would be no damage done by shaving it off, so the risk was vastly minimal as opposed to facing the threat of heat stroke and sickness. With a hesitant and almost mistrusting nod of his head, Derek relented and allowed himself to be shaved.

As long as Stiles was by his side, of course.

Afterwards, Stiles couldn't stop laughing at Derek's new hairdo.

"Well, that's one way to embrace your messy hair!" He was joking, of course, but Derek just scowled. Despite feeling significantly better, he was clearly upset at the loss of hair. "You afraid your majestic locks won't grow back?"

That definitely earned him a growl, which only made Stiles cackle harder.

"Go home, get him one of those plastic kiddie pools and put it in a nice shady spot. With lots of water and a nice place to cool off at, he'll be fine." Deaton assured them once a very sullen Derek made his way back into the vet's lobby. "Ice is always appreciated too, so don't be hesitant to dish some out here and there. He's just getting hot, is all."

Alpha Scott and Matron Allison just nodded there heads accordingly, agreeing with Deaton readily. They really had been worried for Derek's health in the heat. It makes Stiles prideful; his Alpha pair were truly worthy of their statuses. They would take good, good care of them in the years to come.

And if Stiles snickered all the way home at Derek's new do?

Well, that's just between him and Derek.


End file.
